HELP! I have had it with this algae!!

ChitownRomeo

Active Member
Going on 2 and half months now and this white fuzzy "stuff" is now covering over 80% of my expensive real reef rock. tried gfo, phosguard, big water changes, 0 tds water, feeding once every 3 days, no frozen food, no nothing has worked to get rid of it. Scrubbing it off the rocks just makes it spread. This didn't start till I added Microbacter7! stopped that a month ago...HELP!!

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sirrealism

Well-Known Member
Wow. I am not sure what kind of algae that is so i have no advise for you. I will be fallowing along to see if anyone else knows. Kind of looks like a slime but then I can see the fine hairs. What color is it?
 

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
now im hooked on reading those whole threads.... people are going with a type of fungus...
run lots of carbon, UV , they're trying primafix now and i'll keep you updated... haha
 

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
and the fact that it started with microbacter7 is key, yah it's a bacteria...

Quote:
Originally posted by HighlandReefer
CeeGee,

Just to make sure I have this correct. This is the pest, which Boomer has identified it as a bacteria or cyano? And you gained control of this pest using AlgaeFix Marine?
smile.gif

I gained control by using Algaefix Marine, Polyp Labs RF Fuel and RF Genesis, a UV Sterilizer and constant vigilance of keeping my detritus vacuumed up and blowing out the rocks like a crazed lunatic.

I continue to blow out rocks, siphon detritus and the ULNS is still being used and I don't plan on stopping it anytime soon
wink.gif


Whatever took it out took it's sweet time though. I dosed the algaefix 6 times. The last of it came right off with a toothbrush and little effort.
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Not sure what did it but for the time being it is
uzi.gif
gone. TKO!!!!!!!
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Thankfully this isn't going on in my tank, but how weird. No one seems to know what it is or how to deal with it...
 

ziggy

Active Member
and the fact that it started with microbacter7 is key, yah it's a bacteria...

Quote:
Originally posted by HighlandReefer
CeeGee,

Just to make sure I have this correct. This is the pest, which Boomer has identified it as a bacteria or cyano? And you gained control of this pest using AlgaeFix Marine?
smile.gif

I gained control by using Algaefix Marine, Polyp Labs RF Fuel and RF Genesis, a UV Sterilizer and constant vigilance of keeping my detritus vacuumed up and blowing out the rocks like a crazed lunatic.

I continue to blow out rocks, siphon detritus and the ULNS is still being used and I don't plan on stopping it anytime soon
wink.gif


Whatever took it out took it's sweet time though. I dosed the algaefix 6 times. The last of it came right off with a toothbrush and little effort.
dance.gif



Not sure what did it but for the time being it is
uzi.gif
gone. TKO!!!!!!!
Do you have sufficient water flow such as an MP10 or alike? I hear high flow may help the start of something similar.
 

ChitownRomeo

Active Member
Yes I have 2 Mp10's. thanks alot though I learned alot from those threads. This stuff is real bad. Ill try the Algae Fix Marine then if that doesnt work ill try the Pimafix. Thanks alot for the advice!!
 

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
I didn't read the threads from the other forum. (Just so you know)
But, if I had that fuzzy looking fungus growing out of control in my tank, I would TRY Chemi-Clean (from the same makers of CPE).
I have no idea if it will work for that but used as directed, I don't think it will hurt anything else in your tank.
I think it would be worth trying. Follow the directions it gives for getting rid of cyanobacteria. Cayno is tough to get rid of also but Chemi-Clean works for it. What do you think? :ponder2:
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
First off, don't panic. If you do, you will end up taking a minor algae problem and turning it into a disaster. What you have is something that looks ugly, but is not a disaster as far as crashing the tank goes.

Also, your tank is rather new, so it's more likely that this is just a phase it's through. Whatever you do, don't medicate the tank to try to control an algal problem. Those products work, but unless you correct the underlying problems, all you'll do is replace one problem algae with another.

You'll also notice that a lot of people with this problem were dosing something or other. I can't prove there is a link, but I'm very suspicious about it. I think you did the right thing by stopping it.

What sort of clean up crew do you have in the tank? You may want to increase that quite a bit. Some people take this to the point where they have 1 snail and 1 hermit crab per gallon of water. I don't think you need go that far, but if I had this issue I'd use a mix of snails and hermits. I'd add about a dozen of each and see how you do. If you find you need more you can add them.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
I didn't read the threads from the other forum. (Just so you know)
But, if I had that fuzzy looking fungus growing out of control in my tank, I would TRY Chemi-Clean (from the same makers of CPE).
I have no idea if it will work for that but used as directed, I don't think it will hurt anything else in your tank.
I think it would be worth trying. Follow the directions it gives for getting rid of cyanobacteria. Cayno is tough to get rid of also but Chemi-Clean works for it. What do you think? :ponder2:

I got to disagree with your advice in this case. As most people know, I don't generally recommend the use of products such as Chemi-Clean, but that in not the issue here.

The problem is that Chemi-Clean is only good for controlling cyano. Since this "ghost algae" is something even the "experts" on that "other big reef form" can't agree on, there is a big chance Chemi-Clean will do nothing at all.

Personally, I'd recommend manual removal, water changes, and a good clean up crew. If it is still an issue after a few months, and I don't think it will be, then maybe I would consider UV to kill any stuff in the water column.
 

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
I just thought it MIGHT have a killing effect on that fuzzy white stuff if it is bacterial. And cayno is bacterial. And maybe it would just make me feel like I was doing something instead of nothing. Has anyone try Chemi-Clean for this mystery ghost stuff?
I thought WC's and CUC had already failed :confuseded:
Maybe I should read the "other forum" but I just DO NOT like to read other forums. Main reason: they fuss & fight & I hate drama :rolleyes:
UV might help but Chemi-Clean might also :rolleyes2:.....how about putting a small piece of LR & do a test treatment in a small QT tank to see if it kills it or knocks it back any. :fishy:
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
I "think" I have the same stuff. A brief history. 1st I had a bad HA prob and still do some what.I started running biopellets.It helped immensely with the HA,then it turned into a shorter green stuff,then that faded and the bubble came on strong. Now it "seems" the bubble is receding and this white stuff is taking over.The tank is going thru changes. When 1 type looses out another type takes over.The corals aren't stressed and the fish seem ok. It just looks terrible. I can blast it with a power head and it comes off somewhat.A scrubbing removes it completely. But it comes right back. I don't think it's a fungus but a bacteria It "could" be from the biopellets,however it's easy to say it was this chemi stuff or the bio pellets. I think it's coincidence and just a natural change.I'm going to keep blasting it,run socks and water changes and see what happens. Here is a pic right before I blasted it with a power head.
 

ChitownRomeo

Active Member
Mine isn't that bad. And brushing off just spreads it more. I'm going to try Algaefix this weekend since people have had promising results with it. I learned the hard way not to scrub it off in the tank. I'll post my results.

Oh yea mine also came from dosing Microbacter7 which is a carbon source. Try stopping the biopellets for a while and see if it recedes.
 

StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
Another common link I've been seeing on this ghost algae is that has a low nutrient starting point (ULNS, Zeo, BP).
It seems that control is achieved once nutrient levels start to rise. No matter what chemical is dosed, this looks to be typical during the recession and control of this pest.
Diana, don't be afraid to read around, sharing information is what got this hobby as far as we are now! I don't particularly care for certain characteristics of other sites, but fact, experience, and knowledge can be gained regardless.
 

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
Another common link I've been seeing on this ghost algae is that has a low nutrient starting point (ULNS, Zeo, BP).
It seems that control is achieved once nutrient levels start to rise. No matter what chemical is dosed, this looks to be typical during the recession and control of this pest.
Diana, don't be afraid to read around, sharing information is what got this hobby as far as we are now! I don't particularly care for certain characteristics of other sites, but fact, experience, and knowledge can be gained regardless.
Ya'll go ahead & I'll wait here :p :roflmao:
 
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